Mid Summer Mourning
by Duckyumbrella
Summary: Death strikes Sleepyside, shattering the Bob-whites’ lives to bits. Life changing decisions, heart wrenching betrayal, and broken promises come into play as the Bob-whites find themselves mere pawns in a much larger, more dangerous game…
1. Chapter 1

**Mid-Summer Mourning**

**Part 1**

"We win! We win because you lose… Hey!" 15 year old Mart Belden's victory chant was cut short as junk food was hurled at him from the opposing team, mainly from his competitive 14 year old sister, Trixie.

"You just got lucky… again. Best 3 out of 5?" Trixie said. The idea of playing (and losing terribly) again to Mart and his team was immediately rejected by Trixie's teammate, Honey Wheeler.

"Let's play something else!" The 14 year old suggested tactfully, trying to avoid another spat between the two siblings.

"No! We can win this time!" Trixie argued, blue eyes shooting sparks across the game table at the opposing side.

"That's what you said last time, Trix." 15 year old Dan Mangan retorted, a lock of wavy black hair falling between his twinkling dark eyes.

The four teens were part of a group called the Bob-whites of the Glen, a club they had formed with three other teenagers who lived on lonely Glen Road in their little town of Sleepyside. Among the other three members was Trixie's eldest brother Brian, Honey's adopted brother Jim Frayne, and a nearby neighbor, Diana Lynch.

The group was spending the muggy July day inside Crabapple Farm, the welcoming farmhouse in the dip of the valley where generations of Beldens had resided. Peter and Helen Belden, the current owners of Crabapple Farm, had taken a rare evening off and gone to see a new movie showing at the Cameo, entrusting the Belden kids to watch their younger brother.

On the second floor of the farmhouse, 6 year old Bobby Belden was fast asleep, his trusty yet hyperactive Irish setter, Reddy, lying at his feet. His mass of blond curls, so much like Trixie's and Mart's, lay in a golden halo around his angelic face.

The transition from a grey clouded sky to the darkness of night took place outside the young boy's window, the distant rumble of thunder barely audible. The innocent summer rain tapped at the windows, asking to come in and join the fun inside the cozy family room of the farmhouse. It seemed amazing that in a matter of minutes, their lives as they knew them would be changed forever…

A rough knocking came at the door, seeming very out of place on the quiet night. "I'll get it!" Brian said, walking out of the living room and toward the front door.

"Hey Spider. How have you been?" The 17 year old boy greeted the young police officer at the door, ushering him inside and out of the sprinkling rain. Spider Webster was a good friend of the Beldens on the police force. A dark air surrounded the tall and trim policeman, whose hands were stuffed deep in his pockets, his shoulders hunched over, and his face was hidden by the visor of his hat.

"Brian, I need to speak with you and your siblings. It's important." Spider stated in a monotone. Chocolate-colored brows furrowed on Brian's forehead. "Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice creased with worry.

"Please Brian," Spider finally lifted his head, and Brian saw the utter sorrow he would become so used to that filled Spider's dark eyes, "It would be better if I told you all at once." Brian nodded, and silently led the young policeman back into the living room, where time of innocence and joy were numbered…

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I own none of these charactors(though I really wish i did) :)

This is my first fanfic on this site, so please review but don't be mean! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Mid-Summer Mourning**

**Part 2**

Spider Webster twisted his cap nervously in his hands, feeling the eyes of seven curious Bob-whites digging into him. The Beldens had insisted that any news he had could be shared with the other BWGs, so the young man now found himself standing in the middle of the Beldens' family room, trying to think of how to explain… he had to do this, he knew. It was just sooner rather than later.

Taking a deep breath, Spider began his terrible task. "I hate to tell you this, but your parents, Mr. and Mrs. Belden, were in a car accident about an hour ago. Their car ran off the road…" he cleared the lump in his throat, "They were both transported quickly to the hospital, but, we couldn't save them. I'm so sorry."

The silence in the room was deafening, as the Bob-whites stared in a mix of both shock and horror at the carrier of the news. Honey clutched Brian's arm, in fear that she might faint.

"No…" Diana moaned softly, silent tears racing down her face. She felt Mart pull her close to his body, feeling him tremble. She choked back a sob as she felt fresh tears on Mart's cheek as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"You're kidding, right?" Trixie asked with a hysterical laugh. "You've got to be joking." Her only answer was her middle brother's arm cast across her shoulders. Wrapping into his embrace, Trixie felt the world begin to crumble around her…

Dan and Jim had numbed to the world; their expressions stony, their postures rigid. Their eyes reflected the memories of those days so long ago when both of their parents had died, leading them on a never-ending trail of hardships and pain. Both boys, who had been through experiences in their short lives that most people never faced in a lifetime, knew that life could change in an instant.

That a person could be there one day and gone the next. They knew the ripping feeling of one's heart when someone close passes away, and the heavy feeling of grief that never truly leaves. Jim and Dan knew the pain, but neither boy was prepared for the turmoil that that late July evening brought, nor for the repercussions it would have on the Bob-whites and their families…

Brian heard the crying of those around him. He felt the weight of Honey's body pressed against him, her tears soaking his shoulder, the wrenching of her body as she sobbed. He felt his heart swelling up, leaving no room for his lungs to take in air. He saw a film strip of memories flash before his eyes, ending with an overactive imagination caused foresee of his parents' car flipping over and over, before coming to a smoking stop.

Brian felt the burning of tears behind his eyes, but didn't let them pass. He had to be strong for his brothers, sister, friends… he couldn't let them down. All his life Brian had been the responsible big brother, always keeping it together for others, soaking up others' grief by listening, never speaking, in fear of hurting others with his own emotions. Brian slowly rubbed Honey's back, comforting her, while his inner turmoil could be seen only through his anguished brown eyes.

"Waz goin' on?" a sleepy voice asked from the doorway. The group turned to see Bobby standing there, half-asleep. His bright blue eyes turned dark with worry as he took in the tear-stained faces and the sad expressions.

"What's going on?" he asked again, concern creeping into his now fully-awake voice.

"Come here, Bobby." Brian said, sounding tired like a man who had seen many a day. He led his youngest brother to the recliner next to the fireplace, sitting down and pulling the boy up onto his lap. Instinctivaly, the child curled into his big brother's chest, resting his head on the older boy's muscular shoulder.

"Why is everybody sad?" the 6 year old asked, the innocence in his voice nearly breaking Brian's heart.

"Bobby," Brian started the impossible task, "Moms and Daddy were in a car accident tonight. They- they-" Brian stopped as his voice began shaking. Taking a deep breath, he finished, "Moms and Daddy died."

Bobby's eyes went wide as he took this in. "No no no!" he started to scream, each "no!" louder than the last. Bobby's small fists began to pummel Brian's chest, denial creasing the child's angry face. Brian wordlessly held Bobby's arms still as the fight quickly exhausted the 6 year old.

His voice full of anguish, Bobby sobbed a last "No!" before giving in to a torrent of tears. Brian pulled the sobbing child into a tight embrace, letting the head of blond curls rest beneath his chin. Brian rubbed Bobby's back, muttering soothing words the distressed boy. Reddy the dog sat by Brian's feet, his head tilted slightly as if sensing something wrong.

A crackle of static broke through the painful silence, startling the group. "Sorry about that." Spider said as he grabbed his radio off of his belt. "What is it?" he asked.

Words began to sneak through a wall of static. "…fire…trouble controlling…can't…" The static blocked out everything else. Turning off the useless radio, Spider turned to the others. "I've got to go. If you need anything, anything at all, just let me know, okay?"

Mart nodded. "Okay. Thanks Spider."

"Where is the fire, Spider?" Trixie asked, always curious. Spider shrugged with a rueful smile, "I'll know when I see the smoke."

He was starting toward the front door when a voice stopped him. "You won't have to look far," Jim said, his face white against his bright red hair. "The Manor house is on fire!"

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Dun dun dun!!! What will happen next?? You won't find out unless you PLEASE REVIEW!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Mid-Summer Mourning**

**Part 3**

The group, minus Diana and Bobby, raced up the hill toward the Manor house. Large orangey red flames tore through the three-story mansion, a billow of black smoke covering the night sky. The rain had stopped, giving the Bob-whites no relief from the horrid heat. They saw a figure quickly leave the stables, leading horses away from the inferno.

"Uncle Bill!" Dan called, racing off to help his uncle. Trixie grasped her almost-twin's arm. "Oh no! The fire is spreading to the woods! We've got to warn Mr. Maypenny!" she exclaimed, speaking of the kind elderly hermit that lived in the forest.

Jim, Brian, and Honey took off toward the back door of the house. "Hey! You kids stay back!" Spider yelled toward their retreating backs. They didn't listen, soon disappearing from sight.

Grumbling under his breath, Spider ran toward the cluster of fire trucks, police cars, and medics that were spread across the spacious front lawn. His boss, Sergeant Molinson, met up with him.

"We've got everyone out unhurt. The only people unaccounted for are Mr. Wheeler and Ms. Trask. Mrs. Wheeler is in Quebec, and Regan in letting the horses out before the fire reaches the stables." The streams of water from firemen's hoses tried ineffectively to slow down the roaring flames.

Spider gulped nervously as he watched the determined blaze continued to crackle through the mansion. _How could anyone survive trapped in that?_

Wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, Molinson turned toward the inferno. "Now please tell me you know where the Bob-whites are…"

* * *

"Mr. Maypenny! Mr. Maypenny!" Mart and Trixie called as they pounded up the porch steps of the cabin in the woods.

The old hermit didn't believe in locks, so the Bob-whites were able to let themselves in. They raced through the cabin, calling his name with no answer.

The Beldens were worried. Had the old man gone on a horseback ride in the middle of this inferno? Was he trapped somewhere beyond the call of help?

The almost-twins could smell the smoke from the fire, and hear the distant sirens and crackling of flames on wood. Even though they had just had rain, the acres of forests could easily go up in flames, spreading to other homes and killing thousands of wildlife creatures.

Mart finally pulled open the correct door, where the old man slept silently in his four-poster bed. Trixie raced in ahead of her brother.

"Mr. Maypenny! The fire is spreading! We've got to go now!" she cried, tugging gently at the man's weathered hand.

"Um, Trix?" Mart said, walking slowly toward the bed. "I think something is wrong. I don't think he's breathing…" his voice trailed off as he put his fingers to the old man's neck to feel for a pulse.

Trixie then noticed how pale Mr. Maypenny's wrinkled face looked, and how unnaturally cool his hand felt.

"I don't feel anything." Mart said, his eyes wide on his pale round face.

Trixie recoiled from the body as if it was a poisonous snake. "Let's go get the medics." She said, before following Mart out of the cabin.

* * *

"Dan, grab Strawberry and Lady!" Bill Regan directed his nephew to the two horses. The young red-haired stableman tightened his hands around the other horses' reins as he coaxed the horses away from the fire.

"How did this fire start?" Dan asked, feeling the heat radiating off his back.

Regan shrugged. "I don't know. I heard the fire alarm go off, and ran outside to help. I couldn't even get past the front door. The house went up so quickly." He turned to his nephew with a smirk, "Shouldn't you be in bed by now?"

Dan shrugged, secretly wondering what time it was. Time had become unimportant since…

Trixie and Mart, their blue eyes wild on their identical pale faces, raced up to them from the woods. "Found Maypenny…needs help…" Mart got out between pants.

"What?! What happened?" Dan asked. He wasn't answered.

With a sob, Trixie pointed to a passing stretcher, where a familiar patch of bright red hair stuck out from beneath a sterile white blanket…

* * *

"Here! Put these over your faces!" Honey said, handing the wet cloths to Jim and Brian. The trio had just entered the Manor House through the back door, which had led them into the kitchen. The fire hadn't reached this part of the house yet, but thick smoke still choked the air.

They had overheard from passing firemen that Ms. Trask, the beloved governess, and Mr. Wheeler, Honey and Jim's father, were still trapped somewhere in the inferno.

As their burning eyes looked through the ever-thickening smoke, they realized why no firefighters were inside searching. They were all needed just to control the raging fire that tore viciously through the mansion.

The group saw a hunched over figure leaning weakly against a wall. Running over, the form turned into Ms. Trask, who was limping slowly toward the door. Honey and Brian each put an arm around their shoulders as a coughing fit wracked the thin woman's body.

"You two help Ms. Trask out. I'm going to go find Dad." Jim told the other Bob-whites through the thick wet cloth.

Without another word, he sprinted out the doorway and into the main hall, where the fire was eating the walls and climbing the banisters of the grand stairwell.

"Dad? Dad?! Are you here? Answer!" Jim cried, choking on the orange-tinted smoke.

Tears raced down his face from smoke-stained eyes, sweat drenching his bright red hair. Not three years ago, he had been in this same position at his home in Albany, trying to save his mother from the ever-growing flames. He hadn't been able to save her, which still haunted him to this day. Jim's green eyes were dark with determination. _Not this time_, he thought.

Ignoring the risk, Jim raced up the stairs, calling out for his father. He received no answer. The grandfather clock struck midnight of the first floor, each ring intensifying the pounding of his panicked heart.

Jim raced to his parents' bedroom, where he found his father unconscious on the plush rug. Jim quickly pulled the older redhead into a firemen carry, and made his way back down the hall.

The thick smoke was starting to affect Jim's head. He began stumbling through the hallway as if the floors were uneven. He nearly lost his grip a few times, almost dropping his father into the flames that had begun to lick the ends of the long carpet.

Images of the Bob-whites ran through his smoke-clogged head. _Will I ever see them again?_ The question appeared through the mist. Jim shook the thought from his mind. His inner moral kicked in. _Stop thinking so negatively, Frayne! You'll get out of this! You both will! Step…by…step…wow…was this hallway always this long?_

Mr. Wheeler was a heavy weight on his shoulder, and Jim's tired, weak body wanted nothing more than to lie down. Welcoming white specks appeared in front of his eyes, and his knees began to buckle. _Freedom_, Jim thought, as his oxygen-deprived lungs took a final breath…

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Me encanta los reviews por favor! :)

And muchas gracias to those who have reveiwed this story already! :) Thank you so so so much!!! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Mid-Summer Mourning**

**Part 4**

He was floating in a misty grey haze. The only sound was the soft whistling of an invisible wind. _So this is what it's like to be dead_, he thought, as he breathed in sweet fresh air that soothed his lungs.

Darker grey blurs began to swirl behind his eyelids, and he could now feel the light wind turning into soft skin caressing his cheek. Voices slowly made their way to his ear; familiar, but he couldn't place it.

The sound of someone crying penetrated his eardrums, and the distant sound of crackling fire mixed in with new voices around him.

He could now feel the oxygen mask on his face, the tightening of someone's fingers entwined with his, the cool air against his chest, which was dotted with electrodes that shocked a heart back to life.

_Wait a minute_, he thought, _shocked back to life…?_

* * *

"Come on Jim!" Trixie urged the boy lying on the stretcher in front of her, "Wake up you stubborn redhead!" Tears raced unnoticed down her face as she stared at the pale teenager. The medics checked Jim's blood pressure and his breathing, preparing him to go to the hospital.

Her fingers wrapped tighter around Jim's hand as she heard the heart-wrenching sobs of Honey Wheeler from nearby. Brian was holding Honey back as she tried to follow Mr. Wheeler's corpse into the back of the ambulance.

Dan and Regan stood a short distance away with many of the Wheelers' employees, watching with wet eyes as Mr. Maypenny's body was filed into the next ambulance. Ms. Trask had already been taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation and a sprained ankle.

Standing on the other side of Jim, Mart was staring off into the distance, past the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles, the orangey glow of the fire, the clouds of black smoke that blotted out the sky.

_Had it just been this morning_, he wondered, _when I was sitting at the breakfast table, trying to sneak another of Moms's mouth-watering biscuits? Dad was reading the paper like always before heading off to work. Was it really just so recently?_

Mart was pulled from his thoughts by Trixie's sudden cry, "Oh Mart! He's waking up! Come on Jim! Open your eyes!"

Mart quickly looked at his fellow Bob-white, whose eyes were beginning to flutter open. "Oh Jim! I just couldn't have lost you too!" Trixie sobbed. Jim's hand clenched Trixie's tightly, before the medics quickly shooed the Beldens away and loaded the boy into the back of the ambulance.

"Hey come on Trix. No more blubbering. We'll get through this together." Mart said lightly, his voice filled with as much hope as he could muster. Trixie managed a weak smile as the ambulances' wails faded into the distance.

The almost-twins were joined by a weeping Honey Wheeler, who was flanked on either side by Dan and Brian. The five stood there for a minute, staring silently at each other in the middle of the dieing excitement.

Looking from one pair of darkened, wet eyes to the next, the five Bob-whites realized that their lives from this moment on were changed forever, while other lives were eternally trapped in time behind the thick veil of death.

* * *

Diana Lynch watched silently as the pale moonlight shone through the window. Mr. and Mrs. Lynch had graciously invited the Bob-whites and the Wheeler staff to their home further down Glen Road to stay the night.

It was three o'clock in the morning, just hours after a car crash had stopped a pair of hearts, an inferno had tried to seize as many lives as it could, and a heart attack had taken an old friend loved by all. The Bob-whites and Bobby were now sitting silently in the dark living room, waiting for a sleep that would never come.

Diana leaned her head back against Mart's chest. _It's not fair_, she thought as tears swam in her violet eyes. _The Bob-whites and their families are the nicest people I could wish to know. _She squeezed Mart's hand tightly as she saw a lone crystal tear slowly tracing down his pale face._ This shouldn't happen to them_. _They don't deserve this. _

The blond boy's misty blue eyes were vulnerable and haunted as he stared off into the distance, trapped somewhere miles away in a less painful point in time._ No one does…_

Dan sat on the window seat, his legs folded in front of him and his back against the wall. His forehead rested on the window frame, his face looking milky blue in the soft moonlight. His muscled arms were folded around his legs, the mess of dark wavy hair on his head giving him a youthful look.

He was thinking about the late Mr. Maypenny, who he had lived with for about half a year now. Mr. Maypenny had been named his guardian after the court thought that the 23 year old single stableman, Bill Regan, couldn't support Dan and his 'issues'.

_He gave me a second chance_, Dan thought as his eyes stared unseeingly across the darkened fields. _After Mom died, then that gang… if Mr. Maypenny hadn't agreed to take me in, who knows where I'd be now? Probably back in that juvie center in New York City… _

_How could he just go like that? Mr. Maypenny was so active, so full of life. I never even knew he had a heart problem. Maybe he didn't know either. Maybe…_ Dan sighed heavily. It didn't matter. All that mattered was the future, which was looking very foggy.

Honey stared at the same patch of rug, her hazel eyes wide and dark with grief. Just twelve hours ago she had been talking casually with her father, commenting on the weather and their plans for the day. She hadn't known, as she walked out of the living room that afternoon, that it would be the last time she would see her father alive…

Honey choked back a sob as she saw the image of Mr. Wheeler on the stretcher, covered in a sterile white blanket, just a small patch of bright red hair sneaking out from beneath.

_And then Jim…_ Honey shuddered in Brian's arms. It had only been one year since Jim had come to her family, but she couldn't love him more than if she had known him from birth.

Honey had heard the paramedics talking about Jim. _Just a matter of seconds longer in the fire and they may not have been able to restart his heart…_

Honey trembled as she remembered watching Jim's body jolt on the stretcher. Brian wrapped his arm tighter around her, but it did little for her tearing heart. _Just a matter of seconds…_

* * *

_The smoke was swirling around him in an ever-strengthening tornado. The thick hot air seemed to physically press down on his chest as he turned around in a tight circle, trying to find an opening in the twister._

_Over the roaring wind, he heard voices calling to him. "Help! Save us! Please!" A chorus of people cried._

_Slowly the face of woman in her early thirties appeared in front of him. The long blond hair around her thin pale face seemed unaffected by the storm as her slender frame, decked in a white dress, came into view. Her wide blue eyes stared deep into his soul as her mouth stretched wide into a scream._

_Two more faces, both male and redheaded, appeared on either side of the woman. Both tall, green eyed men were wearing flowing white robes, their mouths open as if trying to speak._

_"Why didn't you save us?" They asked him. "Why did you let us die? Why…?" With that, the three forms began to disappear into a million tiny sparks that got lost into the smoke._

_"No, wait!" He yelled, reaching out but grasping nothing but smoke, "Come back! Please! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry…"_

_His voice was lost in the deafening wind as he felt himself sinking into the never-ending eye of the storm…_

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I am being truly awful to these charactors. And there's simply more to come...;)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!! :)

Please review!!!!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Mid-Summer Mourning**

**Part 5**

Jim Frayne sat up in the hospital bed, his red hair plastered to his head from sweat and his eyes wide. The soft soothing voice of his mother, Madeline Wheeler, came from beside him; he must have cried out his sleep without noticing.

That was the scariest dream he had ever had, Jim decided as he tried to calm his pounding heart. He hadn't been able to save his father, he had learned. After nearly dieing in the fire himself, the paramedics hadn't been able to save Matthew Wheeler's life.

_Just a matter of seconds quicker_, he thought, _and maybe I could've gotten Dad out of the fire in time. I failed… again._

* * *

Mrs. Wheeler had flown down from Quebec the second that Mrs. Lynch had called her about the fire. She had raced to the hospital at dark o'clock and, after arguing with a nurse, was allowed to see Jim.

The tears that had nearly dried were about to come forth as the distressed mother stared at Jim's sleeping form, his freckled face as white as the pillow. Madeline was lucky, she had heard, that her adoptive son was still alive. She was lucky that everyone had come out of the fire safely.

_Except Matt…_

Mrs. Wheeler wiped her hazel eyes as she thought of her late husband. Coming to the hospital and telling her beloved son of his father's death was the hardest thing she had ever had to do.

"It's okay, Jim. It was just a bad dream." Mrs. Wheeler soothed the boy, rubbing his sweat-soaked back comfortingly. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked tentatively as Jim seemed to calm down.

His green eyes dark with misery, the redhead spoke in a raspy whisper. "I was in the fire. Dad was there, and so were my parents. They were all calling for me to save them, asking why I couldn't save them, but I couldn't do anything. I couldn't move at all. I failed them… again."

Tears began streaming from his grief stricken eyes. Madeline held the boy close to her chest, her own tears mixing with his as the teen's body wracked with silent sobs. Mrs. Wheeler had grown up rich, but a broken heart and a tortured soul was something no amount of money could repair…

* * *

6:00 a.m. her antique watch read as Mrs. Wheeler made her way down to the hospital cafeteria for a very strong cup of coffee. She had left her son in the hands of the doctors as she looked for something for her overrun mind to drown in.

_Was it really just the other day?_ Madeline pondered, spinning the cream through the dark liquid. _That I was sitting at my kitchen table, surrounded by my family? Was it just the other day that I kissed Matthew goodbye? Oh Matt…_

Mrs. Wheeler stared into her coffee as if it was the eighth wonder of the world, looking into the steaming abyss that reflected her memories.

Mrs. Wheeler had only taken a few sips of her coffee when a tall, thin middle-aged man walked up to her small plastic table. "Are you Madeline Wheeler?" the man asked, his deep blue eyes lively in sharp contrast to Madeline's distressed misty hazel eyes. Upon Mrs. Wheeler's nod, the man stuck out his hand.

"Dirk Spangleburgh. I'm working for Mr. George Rainsford, and I'm here to discuss the case of your adopted son, James Frayne. Do you have a minute to talk?" Mrs. Wheeler looked uncertain, "I don't know. I should really be with Jim…"

"It will really only take a minute and it's very urgent. I'm sorry we have to discuss this at this time. My deepest sympathies for your loss." Madeline nodded, her eyes filling with tears, "Thank you. Well, I guess I can speak to you for a few minutes."

Madeline quickly led Dirk to a more secluded part of the cafeteria. Taking a seat across from each other, Madeline patiently waited for the blond man in the three-piece suit to begin.

Placing his leather briefcase on the plastic table top, Dirk spoke. "It's a normal duty of the adoption lawyer to make sure that the child in question is in a safe, stable environment. For the first year of their adoption, we allow the child to become comfortable with their surroundings, and we study the parents to make sure they are equipped for the job. During that time, if we feel the environment unsafe or the parents unsuited, we can call upon the judge to get the adoption reversed."

Mrs. Wheeler's hazel eyes suddenly turned cold. "What exactly are you trying to say, Mr. Spangleburgh?" she asked, her voice sugary sweet. "I assure you that my husband and I have provided Jim with a very safe and very stable home, and have given him anything he wants or needs. We've grown to love Jim like we would our own son, and he seems very happy with his new life here in Sleepyside. Matthew and I made it plenty clear to Jim that he could come to us with any problem of any sort, and we'll do anything to help fix it. And I assure you that if you speak to Mr. Rainsford, he will tell you that Matthew and I are perfectly qualified to take care of a 16 year old boy."

A gash of a smile cut Dirk's face as he spoke. "Safe and stable? The boy nearly died tonight, in the house that he's supposed to call his home! And where were his guardians at the time? No one stopped him! How am I supposed to trust you to make sure he comes out so lucky if something like this happens again?!"

Mrs. Wheeler's face blushed bright red as she immediately stood up from her plastic chair. If looks could kill, Dirk would've been but a pile of smoldering ash on the tile floor.

"If you had your information straight," Madeline hissed, "You'd know that Jim was in the Manor house trying to save his father. I was in Quebec, and flew down the absolute second I heard. And you should know that Jim isn't just some little kid. He's a very independent and mature teenager, and has been through things in his short life that most people don't go through in a lifetime."

"I will tell you something, Mr. Spangleburgh. This fire was a very tragic accident, but Jim is going to get through it because he's part of a family now. And if you have this adoption reversed, you will be making a big mistake that will destroy Jim's life."

Dirk shrugged as if this was any ordinary conversation, "He never had to be shocked back to life with an AED when he was living with his stepfather. His life perhaps wouldn't be in as much danger there." He said casually.

Any patience for this rude man that Madeline possessed quickly left her as she angrily shrieked, "YOU WANT TO SEND MY BABY BACK TO THAT BAST-" A lump in her throat choked off the last word.

She loved Jim as the son she'd never had, and imagining the teen in such a horrid position again made her want to vomit. Mrs. Wheeler was unaware of the other patrons of the cafeteria staring at her and her companion with apprehension.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, Madeline leaned closer to Dirk and snarled into his ear. "If you think I'm going to stand by and let you take Jim away from his family, you are sadly mistaken. I've got connections on my side, buddy, and I'll do anything in my power to keep this adoption from being changed."

Dirk nodded as if he understood and stood up, placing his briefcase beneath his arm. "We'll see. It's been a pleasure meeting you Mrs. Wheeler." With that, Dirk hurried off.

An angry growl escaping her lips, Madeline sank wearily into her chair, resisting the urge to run after Dirk and dump the now cold coffee on his head.

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Review me please please please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) :) :)

Dirk the jerk will be coming back to stir up trouble very soon...

I'm not sure if any of this lawyer terminology with the adoption switchy thing is true, but I don't care. Let's just say it is!:)


	6. Chapter 6

**Mid-Summer Mourning**

**Part 6**

Over the course of the next few days, family and friends came from out of town to the little town of Sleepyside. Casket after casket marched down the aisle as the Bob-whites stood as mere spectators watching some morbid parade.

The very next day after the funeral, Mrs. Wheeler, Honey, and Jim left for the Wheelers' penthouse in New York City, taking the few of their possessions they could salvage with them. Dan and Regan headed upstate, searching for a new job for a new beginning. Diana and her family flew across country to spend some time with their Uncle Monty.

It seemed to be a silent agreement that none of the Glen Road residents wanted to stay there, trapped with those memories.

* * *

Trixie Belden stared outside her bedroom window, watching the birds float lazily over the garden in the backyard. She saw the rubble of the large mansion that had sat on the hill tall and proud just one week before.

The Bob-whites' clubhouse sat nestled in the trees, amazingly unharmed by the flames. The fields of grass danced in the light summer breeze, seeming to beg someone to come out of Crabapple farm and play.

"Hey Trix?" Her Uncle Andrew asked, knocking softly on the open door, "Can you come downstairs for a minute? There's something we need to discuss with you and your brothers."

* * *

"No no no! I absolutely refuse! You can't do this to us!" Mart yelled at the people assembled in the Beldens' living room. Their uncles Harold and Andrew, aunts Alicia and Carolyn, and Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, the adult occupants of the room, exchanged a glance.

"Mart, you have got to understand." His uncle Harold said. "One of us can't take all four of you kids in. It's what your parents wante-" "No! Don't try to tell us what our parents would have wanted! You don't know!" Trixie shrieked, tears racing down her face from cold, heartbroken eyes. The two almost-twins raced out of the room, dragging Bobby with them, leaving their oldest brother to finish fighting the battle.

Silence reined the living room before Aunt Alicia spoke up, "Brian dear, you know if we could do this any other way, we would. But, like your uncle said, not one of us can take all of you in. It just makes the most sense this way. I take Trixie with me to Philadelphia, Mart lives with Andrew in Iowa, Bobby goes with Carolyn and Harold to Idaho, and you stay with your grandparents in Florida. It all works out."

Brian was silent, his head down. He couldn't let his siblings be spread across the country, but when he thought about it, what other choice did they have? Their relatives had obviously thought long and hard before coming to this conclusion, trying to find some other way. "And you're sure there's no other way? Maybe I, no… But what if…" Brian shook his head again.

Grandma Johnson lifted her 70 year old frame up from the couch and wrapped her thin arms around the young man. "I wish there were another way, sweetheart." She said, planting a kiss on her grandson's thick brown hair. "But for now, this is all we can do."

Brian nodded in understanding, simultaneously feeling guilt of somehow letting his siblings down. _I promised I'd always protect you. I promised I'd never let you get hurt. I promised that you would always come first. _Brian shook his head sadly. _Since when did my promises take the backseat?_

* * *

Jim Frayne glowered at Dirk Spangleburgh, who was seated across from him at the booth, reading the morning paper. A week to the day Jim had nearly died in the fire at the Manor house. Now part of him wished he had.

Mr. Spangleburgh had arrived at the Wheelers' penthouse in New York City earlier that morning, carrying with him a boatload of paperwork that certifiably nullified Jim's adoption. Many phone calls and arguments over the next few hours proved fruitless, as even Mrs. Wheeler's most powerful connections couldn't undo Dirk's plans.

So, with a rushed goodbye, Jim was taken to the train station, where he boarded a train bound for an orphanage in Albany.

"You will be safe at this orphanage, Jim." Dirk said from behind his paper, trying to sound friendly, "I think you will be very happy here."

Jim didn't answer, instead averting his gaze from Dirk to the rolling landscape outside his crud-covered window. _How could I be happy anywhere but Sleepyside?_ Jim wondered sullenly.

He leaned back into the plastic seat, fingering a loose thread on his bright red BWG jacket. _No matter where we end up, or where life's path leads us_, Jim thought as he remembered his close-knit friends. _We'll be Bob-whites forever..._

* * *

"For the heart." Dirk said an hour later, as he pulled a bottle of pills from his suitcase. "They keep my cholesterol low, but I can't take more than two of the pills at a time without falling asleep."

He and Jim had just finished an early dinner, and Jim had watched as the chrome buildings of New York City turned to small suburbs, then pleasant farmhouses and open fields. Dirk plopped two tablets into his drink and watched as they began to dissolve.

The high-pitched chirp of a cell phone emitted from Dirk's briefcase, and upon checking the caller ID, excused himself from the table to take the call.

Jim sat perfectly still as Dirk took the call. Dirk had tried to escape quickly, but not before the redheaded boy saw the number flashing on caller ID. 'J. Jones 555-9348' it had said.

Jim felt his fists involuntarily clench. That was the name and number of his stepfather, the man who he had run away from nearly a year before. _Dirk is working for him!_ Jim's panicking mind screamed. _He's not taking me to an orphanage! He's taking me to Jonsey!_

Doing something the honorable Jim of Sleepyside would never have done, the teenager took two more pills out of the bottle and put them into Dirk's drink. He was planning his escape…

* * *

Dirk Spangleburgh woke up and rubbed his eyes. _Must've dosed off_, he thought as he caught sight of his gold watch. His blue eyes nearly popped out of his head as he saw that it was nearly ten o'clock at night! They should have arrived in Albany nearly four hours ago!

It was then that he became aware of the empty seat where Jim had sat. Cursing under his breath, Dirk hurriedly searched the train with no luck. His charge had given him the slip.

Whipping out his phone, Dirk dialed his boss's number, "Boss, we have a problem…" he started. "Define problem… Where's the boy?" Jacob Jones snarled. Dirk hesitated before answering, "See... that's the problem…"

* * *

Just over four hours earlier, Jim had left Independent Station and was heading toward the docks where cattle boats were just preparing for their journey. He heard the sailors speaking in French, and immediately was thankful to Honey for teaching him the language.

"Excusez-moi. Je recherche un travail." Jim called the sailor who seemed to be in charge, asking for a job. "Vous semblez fort, et nous pourrions toujours utiliser quelques mains supplémentaires autour d'ici. Vous bon avec des animaux?" The man answered.

"Oui, oui. Très bon. Et je suis un ouvrier dur aussi." Jim said, saying that he was very good with animals and a hard worker.

The man smiled, "Vous semblez très determind. Quel est votre nom, garçon?" Jim's smile faltered. What name could he use that wouldn't be recognized if Jones or Dirk tried to find him? He thought back to the Bob-whites. _What if they try to find me?_

"Bob White, monsieur." Jim answered. The man grinned and stuck out a big beefy hand. "Bienvenue à bord, Bob! Mon nom est Samuel. Venez. Je te montrerai où vous travaillerez." he said, welcoming Jim aboard.

Jim shook his hand and followed Samuel onto the boat, leaving his mid-summer mourning on the shore behind him.

* * *

"Brian?" a young voice called from the doorway of Brian's bedroom. The 17 year old sleepily rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced at the digital numbers on his clock.

"Bobby, what are you doing up? It's after midnight, and we've got a big day tomorrow." The 6 year old boy walked into the room, sitting down at the foot of Brian's bed.

Innocent blue eyes looked deep into chocolate brown ones as Bobby said, "I couldn't sleep. I felt… alone." Brian's throat closed up as he pulled his little brother into a hug.

"I don't wanna leave, Brian." Bobby said softly with a sniffle. "I know, Bobby," Brian managed to choke out, "If there were some way we could all stay together, we would in a second."

"But think of it this way, Bobby." Brian started, trying to think up an analogy that the child would understand. "Every day during school, we are in different places. Trixie, Mart, and I are in our different classes up at the high school, and you're in your classroom at the elementary school. We're all in separate places, but by the end of the day, we all come together again. It's kind of like what's happening now. We will all be in different places for a little while, but by the end of the day..."

Hearing a sniffle, Brian looked up and saw his two middle siblings, both dewy-eyed, standing in the bedroom doorway. "We will all come back together again."

Trixie and Mart walked into the bedroom and joined their brothers seated on the bed. They said nothing as they merely sat there, their arms wrapped around each other as they waited out the night.

Tears began to race down their faces as the Beldens thought about the foggy future. The tears weren't of sorrow that had drowned them a week ago, yet they weren't the tears of joy that had sprung cheerfully from their eyes back when laughter was the norm at Crabapple Farm. No, these were tears of another sort. These tears were tears of too many emotions building up and swirling around inside, until the soul was too full to hold them all.

The tears they shed, in some odd way, seemed to be emptying their aching souls of the torment and sadness that had resided there for what seemed like an eternity, while it had only been seven days. It drained their souls of the heart-wrenching sorrow they had endured, the innocent happiness they had used as a front for their already-grieving relatives, and even the nagging worry that had been stuck in the back of their minds for what the future might hold.

These tears helped clear the soul, so that the long-lost hope of finding joy again could shine through.

* * *

"Are we ready to go?" Grandpa Johnson asked the group assembled in the airport the next day. The group had just passed through airport security, and they were hesitant to separate to their individual terminals. Bobby held Trixie's hand tightly, not ready to be separated just yet.

"We still have a bit of time." Uncle Andrew pointed out, wondering for the millionth time if they were doing the right thing by separating the children. "Let's catch an early lunch before heading for the gates." Aunt Carolyn suggested, seeming to read her brother-in-law's thoughts. The others happily agreed.

* * *

"Final boarding call for Flight 1092! Final boarding of Flight 1092 to Six Springs, Florida!" The dreaded message came over the airport intercom. "I guess it's time to go now." Grandma Johnson said sadly, rising herself from the plastic chair at gate G19.

_This is it_, Brian thought as he looked back at the three pairs of blue eyes, realization that this was goodbye darkening them to a deep azure. _Stay strong Belden,_ he thought to himself, feeling tears building up in his own eyes.

Trixie flung her arms around her eldest brother, trying and failing to keep her tears at bay. "Don't go looking for mysteries while I'm not around, got it?" Brian said, trying to joke around his aching heart. "I can't help it!" Trixie answered, a small smile on her face, "They find me!"

The next to say goodbye was Mart Belden, who found that, for once in his life, words failed him. "I'll miss having a walking dictionary around." Brian said, his stormy brown eyes belaying his kidding tone.

Mart shook his head with a smile, though his face too was clouded with sorrow. "Perpetually am I disparaged for my immense discourse intelligence. I will indubitably miss you, bro." The two teenage boys exchanged a quick man-hug.

"I'll miss you too. Try not to eat Uncle Andrew out of his house." Brian said dead-panned, speaking of Mart's well-known appetite. Mart gave a forced chuckle, retorting with an innocent shrug, "Hey! I need to eat! I'm a growing boy!" Brian merely rolled his eyes.

Then Bobby walked up to his eldest brother. Without saying a word the 6 year old flung his arms around Brian's neck, his tears soaking into Brian's cotton t-shirt. "I won't let you go! I can't lose you too!" Bobby cried, his protests muffled by his older brother's embrace.

"Bobby, don't you remember what I said?" Brian whispered gently into the little boy's ear. "We're in different places for now, but we will be together again soon." _But when is soon?_ Brian wondered as he slowly detached himself from his youngest brother.

"You be good, okay?" The teen said, his voice husky with suppressed emotion. Bobby nodded. Running a hand through the child's blond curls as a final farewell, Brian followed his grandparents onto the plane, not trusting himself to look back.

"Ladies and gentlemen," The captain said over the intercom of the plane, "please fasten your seatbelts. We are preparing for takeoff." Brian Belden leaned back in his window seat, listening to the plane's engine rev up. _How I'll miss Sleepyside… _

Suddenly it hit him like a brick wall. All the people and places he was leaving behind in the small town flashed before his eyes like a movie clip entitled 'Seventeen years in the life of Brian Belden'. From his first bike ride to his first day of school, from family gatherings to Bob-white picnics, everything that ever meant anything to Brian was in little Sleepyside, NY.

The plane took off, and Brian watched as his childhood home disappeared behind a veil of clouds. He pictured his family and friends, trapped just on the other side of the vast white quilt.

_United we stand_, Brian thought, as the tears he had held back for so long finally came spilling down his cheeks, _Divided we fall…_

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

I own no charactors but Dirk Spangleburgh (meaning I can torture him anyway I want. Mwahaha!!!)

Thanks to all you who supported this story! :) Hope you enjoyed it!:)

The sequel should be coming soon(define soon) with the title(unless it changes): Absconds of Autumn. There's a confusing Mart word for ya!:)

Please review this story!! I really want your feedback!! Thanks a million!! :)


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